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Sydney Metro Bankstown Line Metro Upgrade gets green light

Published19 Dec 2018

The upgrade of the Sydenham to Bankstown rail line to convert it for Sydney Metro services has been given the tick of approval, allowing the project to go ahead and transform public transport in Sydney’s South West.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance today confirmed planning approval has been granted following extensive consultation with local communities and councils.

“This is great news for this part of Sydney and we are ready to hit the ground running,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Construction of the Sydney Metro through the city is well underway which will link to the South West and we have started the track work at Sydenham. We are meeting every milestone to get this Metro project up and running in 2024.

“The upgrade from Sydenham to Bankstown is desperately needed and only the NSW Liberals & Nationals will deliver it.”

Major railway construction work has started at Sydenham so that the Bankstown Line can be upgraded to modern metro rail standards, with customers getting a new fully-air conditioned Sydney Metro train every four minutes in the peak in each direction.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said Labor should hang its head in shame for not supporting this vital public transport project, which will benefit customers in Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Bankstown.
“Labor’s only infrastructure plan is to cancel projects. Under Labor there would be no F6 Extension, no Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link and no Sydenham to Bankstown Metro rail upgrade,” Mr Constance said.

“For too long, Labor has taken Sydney’s South West for granted. Labor needs to explain to people in Sydney’s South West why they should be deprived of world class Metro services.

“Last time Labor was in office they promised 12 rail lines and they didn’t deliver a single line. Now they are promising to cancel more projects, including Metro South West, proving they still can’t deliver for NSW.”

Currently on the Bankstown Line, stations like Hurlstone Park and Canterbury get as few as four trains an hour in the peak.

The T3 Bankstown Line creates a significant bottleneck as it merges with other railway lines close to the Sydney CBD, including the T8 Airport and South Line and the Inner West and Leppington Line.

Moving Bankstown Line services to the new standalone metro system removes this bottleneck, providing capacity for more trains to run on the existing network across Sydney.

Sydney Metro will have ultimate capacity of a new metro train every two minutes in each direction under the Sydney CBD.

Sydney Metro opens in the city’s north west next year with 13 metro stations. In 2024, Sydney will have 31 metro stations from Rouse Hill to Bankstown on a 66km standalone metro railway.